Main Activities in the Past 25 days

Since very few people are using TeamSpot, we decided that we first need find a way to attract more users, then we could conduct user study. So part of my time was spent on designing a plan with other interns to promote the popularity and usage of TeamSpot. Meanwhile, I am still working with David and Ping to design a qualitative research to find out the learning experience of learning how to use TeamSpot when the first-time users use TeamSpot to do real works. So, my job now actually has two parts: designing promotion plan and designing and conducting usability study.

• On Feb 7th, TeamSpot meeting
• Feb 7th - 9th: research design - research question, interview questions, subjects, location, procedures, equipments.
• Feb 10th is a busy day: set equipments at TeamSpot in Meyer library; used TeamSpot to collaborate for promotion plan; participant observation; interviewed one of participants
• Feb 13th - 17th: imported the observation video from the digital camera into iMoive project, edited, then converted it into DVD format. It was really time-consuming due to the failure of both hardware and software in the library.
• Feb 19th: went to WBH 4th floor and borrowed a digital camera from ldt
• Feb 20th: shot for the promotion plan with other interns
• Feb 21th - 27th: imported and edited the video files for the promotion plan. Conducted the second interview for TeamSpot user study on Feb 24th. Transcribed part of the interview audio file. After 6 hour's transcribing (for just 15 minutes raw data), felt really exhausted. Started to work on data analysis of user study. Feb 27th, attended Toyon's staff meeting and schedule a TeamSpot demo workshop in April 5th evening.
• On Feb 28th: TeamSpot group meeting with a staff from Tidebreak - the vendor for the software.

It is very productive month. Next, continue to work on both the promotion demo plan and the user study.

TeamSpot Usage Oberservation at Meyer Library

David, Huiping, and I (a team from ED151) observed Meyer Library TeamSpot on Friday (two hours).

The observation has two purposes. First, we are trying to find how TeamSpot is currently being used so that we may provide some information for Sam in designing promotion strategies. The second purpose is to find some possible usability research questions by observing how people use TeamSpot.

Unfortunately, during the two-hour observation, nobody used the TeamSpot for what it is intended for - collaboration. Only one person used the space (I mean the chair and table). So we decided we were going to have second observation next week. Also we are going to interview 2-3 users who use TeamSpot for whatever purpose.

Hopefully, through these observations and interviews, we can get some useful information for the next step.

Human Subject Issues

I have completed and passed the human subject test. You can click here and go to the website to check my certificate. It was a time-consuming process. But you can be allowed to do any research dealing with human sujects only after you have passed this test.

As I understand, if we do some investigations on how to improve the usage and popularity of TeamSpot, we do not need submit an application to IRB for review. But if we intend to publish the research results, we have to submit an application before we begin to conduct the research.

One of Possible Experiments for TeamSpot

Purpose

Find the best way of using the facility so that it becomes pedagogically superior to the alternative modes of instruction.

Variables

• Independent
  - Anonymity of input vs. identity on public display
  - Accountability vs. no accountability message on private display
• Dependent: Collaborative effectiveness was measured in terms of participants’ contribution and their evaluation of their collaboration experience.
• Manipulation
  - 2 x 2 between subjects factorial design

Task

• Visiting the ldt website: http://ldt.stanford.edu/
• Discuss and critique the website in terms of strength and weakness
• Based on their critique, brainstorm what the future ldt website should look like in terms of content, features, functions and organization (architecture)
• Generate a final report including the critique and new design (expectation) of the website

Hypothesis

Anonymity of input on public display and accountability message on private display enhances the effectiveness of collaboration (defined in terms of ideas generated and self-reported collaboration experience) by increasing group process gains and decreasing group process losses.

• Anonymity of input can decrease or eliminate evaluation apprehension (a process gain) leading to an increase in member participation and amount of information generated by the group (a process gain)
• Showing message “everyone has to make contribution” on each private display can increase individual accountability and thus member participation and amount of information generated by the group (process gain)

More Details >>

Internship - Introduction

I am doing internship at Academic/Residential Computing at Stanford University. The job responsibility is to conduct usability study associated with TeamSpot - a collaborative learning space.

The followings are the summary of what I did for this internship last week:

• Had meeting with TeamSpot team on Tuesday (Jan 17th)
• Did some literature review on research regarding collaborative learning space on Thursday and will publish my findings here soon.
• Finished first two parts of Collaborative IRB Training Initiative for researcher dealing with human subjects on Friday.

Click here for Collaborative IRB Training Initiative website, if you are interested in it. All Stanford researchers who work with human subjects are required to take it.